Pope Francis recently warned gossip
'fills the heart with bitterness and also poisons us'
But
according to a new study, gossiping may in fact be good for our
self-esteem because it allows us to compare ourselves to others.
A
group of Dutch researchers have found out that hearing positive and
negative gossip about another individual boosts self-reflection and
self-evaluation. Elena Martinescu at the University of Groningen said:
'Women who receive negative gossip experience higher self-protection
concerns possibly because they believe they might experience a similar
fate as the person being the target of the gossip. Men who receive
positive gossip experience higher fear, perhaps because upward social
comparisons with competitors are threatening.'Professor
Martinescu added gossip provided individuals with indirect social
comparison information and provides an essential resource to reflect on
their behavior. She suggested that rather than trying to block out
gossip, we should
'accept gossip as a natural part of our lives
and receive it with a critical attitude regarding the consequences it
may have on ourselves and on others.'Do you agree?
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